Labor Laws & Money Blog

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling issued the following statement regarding the September 2026 Employment Situation Report:“President Trump’s economic agenda continues to deliver for American workers and businesses. Construction employment rose 11,000 in September, marking seven straight months of growth. Manufacturing employment also continues to expand, adding 9,000 jobs in September and 72,000 for the year.“After years of decline under the previous administration, President Trump is driving an industrial renaissance that continues to expand. Thanks to trillions of dollars of investment and the historic relief provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts, American workers are keeping more of what they earn while businesses have the certainty to invest and hire.”

In the week ending September 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 197,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 197,000 to 198,000. The 4-week moving average was 200,000, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 202,250 to 202,500.

LITTLE ROCK, AR – A U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration whistleblower investigation has concluded that Union Pacific Railroad Co. violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act when it removed from service and later terminated a North Little Rock yardman who notified management of nearby lightning and federal safety standards. OSHA determined that the employee voiced concerns about nearby lightning, cited OSHA and NOAA lightening safety guidelines, initiated a safety stand-down, and refused to work until the storm passed. Within minutes of the stand-down, Union Pacific removed the employee from service and was later charged with insubordination. Union Pacific terminated his employment on May 30, 2024.On June 10, 2026, OSHA ordered Union Pacific to remove from the employee’s employment records any reference of the incident, and pay back wages, lost benefits, compensatory and punitive damages totaling at least $304,869, and attorney’s fees. Union Pacific filed objections to OSHA’s order and has requested a hearing before a U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge.OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces 25 whistleblower statutes that protect employees from retaliation for reporting violations of workplace airline, anti-money laundering, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, criminal antitrust, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, maritime, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, safety and health, securities, and tax laws.Editor’s note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the award approximately $10.2 million in grant funds to 67 organizations across the nation to support education and training focused on worker safety to help employees and employers recognize serious workplace hazards and employ safety and health programs.Funded through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, the grants aim to advance worker safety and health by providing instructor-led training opportunities for workers and employers in small businesses with an emphasis on industries with high injury, illness, and fatality rates.The grants will fund training and education on hazard awareness, prevention, and controls to protect workers from on-the-job hazards through the development of quality classroom-ready training and educational materials that identify and prevent workplace hazards.The grants honor the legacy and work of Dr. Susan Harwood who, during her 17 years with OSHA, developed workplace safety guidelines for benzene, formaldehyde, bloodborne pathogens and lead in the construction industry. Harwood was also primary author of OSHA’s cotton dust standard which virtually eliminated byssinosis – a lung disease that causes asthma-like symptoms – among textile workers.Learn more about the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program and 2026 awardees.

SEATTLE – The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a court order to appoint an independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned 401(k) plan of a defunct Arlington-based aerospace company.The order, entered in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, appoints AMI Benefit Plan Administrators Inc. as the independent fiduciary for the Commercial Aircraft Interiors LLC 401(k) Plan, which has been frozen since the employer shut down operations in 2023. In this role, the independent fiduciary will be able to distribute its assets to eligible former employees who have not been able to access their retirement savings because the only responsive company representative, Charles Pratt, lacked the legal authority needed to approve distributions. The independent fiduciary will also be able to formally terminate the plan.“The appointment of an independent fiduciary will give the participants in the Commercial Aircraft Interiors plan access to the funds that rightly belong to them,” said Liam Roberts, district director for the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration in Seattle. “We urge all workers to contact the department for assistance when their retirement plan has been abandoned and they have not received the benefits to which they are entitled.”Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, all employee benefit plans are required to be managed by named fiduciaries. Without one, participants and beneficiaries cannot get information about their accounts or collect retirement benefits. The Commercial Aircraft Interiors plan has approximately $260,000 in assets and 59 participants.EBSA ensures the security of retirement, health, and other job-based benefits for American workers and their families. The agency is responsible for protecting more than 155 million workers, retirees, and their families, who are covered by approximately 2.8 million health plans, 837,000 private retirement plans, and 521,000 additional welfare benefit plans. Together, these plans hold about $15.2 trillion in assets.Employers and workers can contact EBSA at askebsa.dol.gov or call 866-444-3272 toll-free for help with private sector job-based retirement and health plans.